Pristina’s official said on Monday the import taxes on goods from Serbia and Bosnia were introduced for Kosovo’s benefit and said they would remain in place, but added the authorities had been intensively working on a concrete solution like the temporary suspension of the tariffs, the FoNet news agency reported.
Kadri Veseli, Kosovo’s Parliament Speaker, said the US demanded the suspension as a temporary measure.
“We introduced the 100 percent import duties on goods from Serbia and Bosnia because Belgrade forced us to. They will continue to exists. I made a proposal that is very concrete and envisages measures,” Veseli told the Kosovo RTK television.
RELATED NEWS
He said that during the suspension, goods from Serbia would not be allowed into Kosovo if its institutions were not respected. He did not elaborate.
Veseli’s proposal came after the US and the European Union repeated demands to Kosovo’s Government to withdraw or suspend the tariffs.
Veseli added that Kosovo had to maintain the partnership with the US and the EU and that he was sure Pristina would come out of the situation “as a winner,” announcing that “a wise solution will be brought in the next several days.”
The taxes were introduced last November after Pristina blamed Belgrade for failing to join Interpol.
Serbia’s authorities say the EU-facilitated Belgrade – Pristina dialogue on normalisation of relations won’t resume before the annulment of the tariffs.
